How many steps per day to stay fit?

Over the past several years, many individuals have started to count their steps as a way of adding exercise to their daily routines.  Most use a device known as a pedometer to see how many steps they walk in a day and then adjust their routines accordingly.  The question is, how many steps are needed to produce a beneficial health effect?  5,000? 10,000?

I recently attended the American College of Sports Medicine's Annual Meeting in San Francisco and was able to attend a clinical lecture that discussed just that.  Dr. Catrine Tudor-Locke and Dr. Michael D. Schmidt explained their detailed studies by presenting some intricate data that I will try to summarize.  The average individual takes about 5,000 steps per day with their normal activities, with men taking more than that.  If you think about it, that sounds like quite a few steps, and it is.  That amounts to about 2.5 miles.  You would think that this is surely enough to account for a healthy lifestyle but those individuals that take that many steps are typically classified as "sedentary" or "inactive."  I know that sounds unreasonable, but it is actually a valid statement.  This is because exercise should be considered an activity that takes place outside of an individual's normal routine.  Unless an individual runs or walks for a living, they are unlikely to get enough steps to be considered exercise.

That's all fine and dandy, but what is the magical number of steps that you should take?  A good rule of thumb is that you should add 3,000 steps to your daily routine.  The best way to figure out your total number needed is to use a pedometer to see how many steps you normally take.  Do this for a week and get your average steps.  You can now add 3,000 steps to this to get your goal number of steps.  For some individuals this may be 6,000 steps and for others it may be 11,000 steps.  Another good general rule of thumb to follow is that you should take 8,000 to 11,000 steps per day.  The more you take, the better off you are.

Here are some easy ways to increase your steps:
-Take the stairs at work instead of the elevator or escalator
-Park at a further spot in the parking lot (you know they are available!)
-Go for an actual walk around your neighborhood.  This is the best because your steps are concentrated within a time frame and can be considered true exercise
-Walk to lunch or to the local store
-Take your kids to the park and walk while they bike
-Window shop at the mall (I know this is sensitive territory for some), but avoid the pretzel store
-Hop on a treadmill or go for a run
-Walk your dog even if it runs around the yard all day
-If none of the above do the trick, walk in place at home while you watch TV.

If anybody already uses a pedometer, I would love to get some feedback on your success, challenges, or tips.  Now get up and go for a walk!  It's as easy as taking a few steps.